The eighth installment of the Silent Hill series won't be ready for the holiday season. Publisher Konami confirmed a delay to Silent Hill: Downpour today.

MCV reports that Downpour is now due in the first quarter of 2012. It was initially expected in November.

Downpour stars prisoner Murphy Pendleton. The vehicle transporting him to prison crashes and he finds himself stranded in the town of Silent Hill. The storyline is said to be separate from previous games in the series, with the game mostly taking place in a previously unseen portion of the town.

Czech developer Vatra Games is handling the development of this game. This is the first time they'll contribute to the series. Still, it sounds like they'll maintain the traditional mix of combat and puzzle gameplay.

No reason was provided for the delay. We'll have to assume it's the default excuse: polish.